Apparatus for producing nitrogen compounds from carbids.



.A.R.FRANKQ APPARATUS .POR PRODUG-ING NITROGEN COMOUNDS'PBOM GARBIDS. AIPPLIOAIION FILED JUNE 29, 1911.

Patented Nov. 28,

UNTTED ,sTATEs PATENT OFFICE. l

ALBERT n FRANK, or vsrnivrint, GERMAN-Y.

Armeniens een rnqnuome NITROGEN COMPOUNDS nimm canarias. Y

Specication of Letters Patent:

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

Drig'ina'l application led Junel, 1910, Serial No. 565706. `Divided and this application Amed-.Tune 29, 1311. 4 Serial No. 636,010.

'To-all whom it may concern: 4 v

Be it known that I, ERT RFRANK, a

' subject of the German Emperor, residing at Spandau, German Empire, have invented certain new and usefull Improvements in Apparatus for Producing -Nitrogen Compounds rom'Carbids; and I do hereby declare the `following to -be -a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as l) will enableothers' skilled in the art to which A it appertains tov make and use the' same.

This invention relates to apparatus for producing a nitrogen compound i'rom' carbids, and has for its object to produce such compounds, lespecially calcium carbid, in a i -manner to be more fully disclosed below.

`Th'is,applicaton is a division of my copendingv application Number 565,706, entitled Method O producing nitrogen compoundsfrom carbids, iled June 8, 1910.

In the production of nitrogen compounds by the reaction of nitrogen with carbids,"as for example, the carbids of the alkalis or alkaline earths, I have found that it' is not necessary for the process that the entirel mass'of the carbid be brought tothe temperature necessary forthe' reactiongbut that it suffices if this temperature be produced at one place in the mass, the reaction then proceeding or continuing undersuitable conditions of nitrogen supply, spontaneously throughout the entire mass; a preliminary condition, however, is that the reaction tempera'ture be actually attained atthis one place. Y

In accordance with the present invention the processA may be carried out in several ways, of which amples the followingare' ex- The ignition may be accomplished, for

"example, by means of an electricheater or '50 resistor in the form of 'a carbon body, or a `metallic conductor'or semi-conductor placed inasuitable relation with the receptacle jcontaining'the carbid. The heater is then raised to or above the reactiontemperature' on ythe' electric current. The

The ignition at one place may be pro'-l nitrogen being brought into contact with the carbid in' the'receptacle the reaction starts in theheated zone and proceeds from the 'region ofthe heater until the entire mass ofrthe carbid is convert-ed, into the desired nitrogen'compound. If the heat insulation of, the receptacle be. suiicientlyeective, the current may be switched oli' after the reaction has commenced; but if said insulation be not suiiiciently effective, heat may be applied, through the resistor or other-A wise, during the entire period of the reaction to compensate for the loss ofheat.

As .an illustration of one method of carrying out my invention, I will select the pro-` duction of calcium cyanamid (CaCN2) from calcium carbid (Caca). and nitrogen I(N), following the reaction, l

oao2+2N=oaoN2+d a suitable receptacle, preferably closed, con.-

. -7s e which may be carried `out as followsz-Into structed4 of material of low heat oonductivity, provided with means'ifor `introducing nitrogen and containing electrical means or` developing a temperature lying between dark red and-light yellow, `I introduce vthe desired quantity, sav '100 k. g., of dividedv calcium carbid. `This carbid may be ground -to,any suitable' iineness but in prac- 'f tice I have found'it is best to grind to such a fineness that it will, except for a residue of about, 91or 10 percent., all pass-through,

a 'sieve having 900 meshes `to the square centimeter. A small portion of theI .carbid immediately adjacent to the electrical heatdeveloping means, is first raised to the tem-r.

perature required to initiate the reaction at that point, between the carbid and the nitrol gen then or previously introduced, and the process of conversion starts. The supply of nitrogen beingmaintained, the heat spontaneously resulting "from the reaction be tween the carbid and nitrogen at this ini` tial stage which we may call the ignition stage of the processis` transmitted to that portion of the mass immediately surrounding the initially heated portion, andissuiiiloo cient to promotethe reaction in said urf.

rounding portion 4and there develop a new supply of heat, which, transmitted to an area still more remote from the' ignition point is suicient to promote-the reaction there;. and so the reaction continues to spread until conversion 'ofcalcium carbid into calcium cyanamid is effected throughout the `entire mass. This result will be recognized from the cessation in' the -consumption of nitrogen, which may be observed in any Well known manner.

Referring to the `accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which the figure is a diagrammatic sectional View of an apparatus suitable for carrying out this invention-o represents any suitable receptacle, b the material ,to be acted upon by nitrogen, @any suitable means for beatingsaid material, for example, a resis-tor through which a currentl may be passed; (Z the positive terminal of a Work circuit; e the negative terminal; g receptacle through which the resistor c may pass, f any suitable closure for said recep' tacle, and It suitable mean's for introducing nitrogen gas. c

The method may also be carried out by bringing the carbid, reducedto a iinely divided state, andeither cold or ,moderately heated, into contact with hi nitrogen, the supply of which is maintained, the process proceeding as before described. The nitrogen may also besupplied at a pressure above that of the atmosphere or at atmospheric pressure, or it maybe drawn into the receptacle at a pressure below that of the atmosphere. p f

In all cases the carbids 'may be employed either 1n the pure statev or as a commercial carbid 'or mixed with other materials, par` ticularly `With such materials as effect a loosening of the carbid mass, for instance, as carbonaceous materials which by becoming carbonized form channels or pores in the mass, which channels or poresenable the plete'ly all the portions of nitrogen to penetrate ,readily and comt'he -n}ass.l The *a tube or other ghly heated nitrogen; under these conditlons the carbid 1 becomes incandescent and reacts with the from Vother salts of alkalis or-alkaline earths and carbon or any carbonaceous substances.; 0r as' a mixture of metals and carbon and sub- Astances derived from carbon with or With out the addition of other organic or inorganic substances,

do not contain compounds-having a temprovided these componentsperature of decomposition which in itself or in reaction with the other components is higher than the temperature of reaction when nitrogen acts on carbids.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangement' of partsn Without departing the spirit of my invention, and therefore, I donot Wish to be limited tothe features disclosed, exceptI as'may be,required by the claim. In fact, it is evident that a Wide variety of apparatus may be used for carrying out my invention.l A s,

In an apparatusfor making compounds of nitrogen fromfcarbids, the combination vof a vessel for containing the carbid; means for introducing nitrogen thereinto; means for maintaining a passage through said vessel and carbid; and a resistor adapted to heat said carbid and nitrogen to a reaction temperature, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix -my signature, in presence oftvvowitnesses.

ALBERT R. FRANK.V Vlitnesss:4

WOLDEMARJHAUPT, HENRY HASPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedifor ,ve'cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, l i

` t Washington, D. C. v 

